Saturday originally offered the intriguing possibilty of a head-to-head comparison between the two keepers, but although Combe's recent calf injury had cleared up in time for the match, his replacement Graeme Smith's form has been good enough not to rush the more experienced man back between the sticks. Even so, it was Smith who emerged as the more impressive performer on the day, spoiling Aberdeen's thoughts of a comeback with a penalty save. He revealed later that it was no fluke, he had done his homework and knew where Darren Mackie liked to place his spot kicks. He may be disappointed with the Dons' secoond goal after being distracted by Scott Muirhead run across his line of sight, but his vitla save will live linger in the mind than Crawford's counter, and he has surely played his way into the Scotland Future squad for the match at Rugby park against poland next month, ahead of Esson.
Esson was culpable for Killie's first goal when he could only push Boydy's free kick straight to the alert Simon Ford and should have done better for the second and third goals. He went down far too quickly with Danny Invincibile's goal after Boyd had again played the crucial pass, and fluffed his lines again when Frazer Wright was able to keep him at bay to tee up Boyd.
With two of the best goalies in the league Killie's reputation for finding great keepers is alive and well, even if Jim Stewart doesn't think so.